<p>Chinese is widely known as a topic-prominent language, and topic sentences are typical Chinese sentence structures. Sparse previous L2 processing studies of Chinese topic sentences mainly focused on single-topic sentences, while this study examined the processing of Chinese double-topic sentences. Beginning with three sentence-initial NPs (double topics and a subject), Chinese double-topic sentences are subject to the double-topic constraint, which requires the base-generated topic to precede the moved topic. Adopting a self-paced reading task, this study explores how intermediate and advanced Korean learners of Chinese as well as Chinese native speakers process the double topics and the subject, and whether they are sensitive to the double-topic constraint, revealing to what extent their processing is nativelike. The results showed that all participants had a similar pattern in processing the double topics and the subject in that they showed a reanalysis effect in analyzing the second and third NP. Besides, the Chinese native speakers and advanced Korean learners of Chinese were found to be sensitive to the double-topic constraint, but the intermediate Korean learners were not. The implications of the results for L2 sentence processing are discussed.</p>

错误:搜索内容不能为空,请输入英文关键词
错误:关键词超出字数限制,请精简
高级检索

Processing of Chinese Double-Topic Sentences by L1-Korean Speakers

  • Kaiyan Song,
  • Hui Chang

摘要

Chinese is widely known as a topic-prominent language, and topic sentences are typical Chinese sentence structures. Sparse previous L2 processing studies of Chinese topic sentences mainly focused on single-topic sentences, while this study examined the processing of Chinese double-topic sentences. Beginning with three sentence-initial NPs (double topics and a subject), Chinese double-topic sentences are subject to the double-topic constraint, which requires the base-generated topic to precede the moved topic. Adopting a self-paced reading task, this study explores how intermediate and advanced Korean learners of Chinese as well as Chinese native speakers process the double topics and the subject, and whether they are sensitive to the double-topic constraint, revealing to what extent their processing is nativelike. The results showed that all participants had a similar pattern in processing the double topics and the subject in that they showed a reanalysis effect in analyzing the second and third NP. Besides, the Chinese native speakers and advanced Korean learners of Chinese were found to be sensitive to the double-topic constraint, but the intermediate Korean learners were not. The implications of the results for L2 sentence processing are discussed.